Royal Minstrel (IRE)
1925 – 1940
Tetratema (IRE) x Harpsichord (IRE), by Louvois (GB)
Family 5-e
1925 – 1940
Tetratema (IRE) x Harpsichord (IRE), by Louvois (GB)
Family 5-e
Although he was narrowly beaten in his only attempt at a Classic, Royal Minstrel inherited a good amount of the speed associated with the male line of The Tetrarch and scored his biggest win in the rich Eclipse Stakes as a 4-year-old. A successful sire in the United States, he was repatriated to England at the relatively young age of 13 but died two years later.
Race record
5 wins, £21,549
1928:
1929:
As an individual
A handsome gray, Royal Minstrel was a big, strong horse with an excellent shoulder and a huge stride.
As a stallion
Royal Minstrel peaked at 10th on the American general sire list in 1937. He was fifth on the American broodmare sire list Iin 1948 and eighth in 1947. According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Royal Minstrel sired 126 winners (73.7%) and 19 stakes winners (11.1%) from 171 named foals. Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (Churchill, Reichard and Rogers) credits Royal Minstrel with 20 stakes winners.
Notable progeny
First Fiddle (USA), Melodist (USA), Singing Wood (USA)
Connections
Royal Minstrel was bred by the noted Irish breeder J. J. Maher. He was owned by Captain Gough, who bought the colt for 4,200 guineas from the 1926 Doncaster yearling sale. Royal Minstrel was trained by Captain Cecil Boyd-Rochfort (later Sir Cecil Boyd-Rochfort). Following his racing career, he was exported to the United States and stood at John Hay Whitney's Mare's Nest Stud in Kentucky. He went back to England in late 1938 and died there in 1940.
Pedigree notes
Royal Minstrel is a half brother to 1934 Dewhurst Stakes winner Hairan (by Fairway) and to 1930 Coronation Stakes winner Qurrat-al-Ain (by Buchan), dam of 1942 Irish One Thousand Guineas and Irish Oaks winner Majideh (by Mahmoud). Majideh, in turn, produced 1957 Belmont Stakes winner Gallant Man (by Migoli); his half sister Masaka (by Nearco), who completed the Oaks Stakes—Irish Oaks double in 1948 and was champion 3-year-old filly in both England and Ireland; and Mehrabi (by Migoli), second dam of 1968 American champion 2-year-old male Top Knight and third dam of 1985 Joe McGrath Irish Sweeps Derby (IRE-I) winner Law Society, a two-time champion in Ireland. Returning to Qurrat-al-Ain, she also produced 1940 Irish Oaks winner Queen of Shiraz (by Bahram), dam of 1955 Santa Anita Handicap winner Poona II and 1959 Prix Jacques le Marois winner Sallymount (both by Tudor Minstrel) and second dam of three Irish Classic winners in 1967 Irish Two Thousand Guineas winner Atherstone Wood, 1969 Irish St. Leger winner Reindeer and 1970 Irish Guinness Oaks winner Santa Tina.
Harpsichord, the dam of Royal Minstrel and his siblings, was a juvenile stakes winner in Ireland and is a half sister to Melpomene (by Son-in-Law), third dam of 1956 American champion 3-year-old male Needles. She is out of Golden Harp, whose sire Llangibby won the 1906 Eclipse Stakes. Golden Harp, in turn, was produced from Goldscleugh, a winning daughter of the good stayer Florizel II (a full brother to Persimmon and Diamond Jubilee) and the Lord Lorne mare Model Queen.
Race record
5 wins, £21,549
1928:
- Won St. James's Palace Stakes (Eng, 8FT, Ascot)
- Won Craven Stakes (ENG, 8FT, Newmarket)
- 2nd Two Thousand Guineas (ENG, 8FT, Newmarket)
- 2nd Eclipse Stakes (ENG, 10FT, Sandown)
- 2nd Sussex Stakes (ENG, 8FT, Goodwood)
1929:
- Won Eclipse Stakes (ENG, 10FT, Sandown)
- Won Victoria Cup (ENG, Hurst)
- Won Cork and Orrery Stakes (ENG, 6FT, Ascot)
- 2nd July Cup (ENG, 6FT, Newmarket)
- 2nd Nunthorpe Stakes (ENG, 5FT, York)
As an individual
A handsome gray, Royal Minstrel was a big, strong horse with an excellent shoulder and a huge stride.
As a stallion
Royal Minstrel peaked at 10th on the American general sire list in 1937. He was fifth on the American broodmare sire list Iin 1948 and eighth in 1947. According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Royal Minstrel sired 126 winners (73.7%) and 19 stakes winners (11.1%) from 171 named foals. Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (Churchill, Reichard and Rogers) credits Royal Minstrel with 20 stakes winners.
Notable progeny
First Fiddle (USA), Melodist (USA), Singing Wood (USA)
Connections
Royal Minstrel was bred by the noted Irish breeder J. J. Maher. He was owned by Captain Gough, who bought the colt for 4,200 guineas from the 1926 Doncaster yearling sale. Royal Minstrel was trained by Captain Cecil Boyd-Rochfort (later Sir Cecil Boyd-Rochfort). Following his racing career, he was exported to the United States and stood at John Hay Whitney's Mare's Nest Stud in Kentucky. He went back to England in late 1938 and died there in 1940.
Pedigree notes
Royal Minstrel is a half brother to 1934 Dewhurst Stakes winner Hairan (by Fairway) and to 1930 Coronation Stakes winner Qurrat-al-Ain (by Buchan), dam of 1942 Irish One Thousand Guineas and Irish Oaks winner Majideh (by Mahmoud). Majideh, in turn, produced 1957 Belmont Stakes winner Gallant Man (by Migoli); his half sister Masaka (by Nearco), who completed the Oaks Stakes—Irish Oaks double in 1948 and was champion 3-year-old filly in both England and Ireland; and Mehrabi (by Migoli), second dam of 1968 American champion 2-year-old male Top Knight and third dam of 1985 Joe McGrath Irish Sweeps Derby (IRE-I) winner Law Society, a two-time champion in Ireland. Returning to Qurrat-al-Ain, she also produced 1940 Irish Oaks winner Queen of Shiraz (by Bahram), dam of 1955 Santa Anita Handicap winner Poona II and 1959 Prix Jacques le Marois winner Sallymount (both by Tudor Minstrel) and second dam of three Irish Classic winners in 1967 Irish Two Thousand Guineas winner Atherstone Wood, 1969 Irish St. Leger winner Reindeer and 1970 Irish Guinness Oaks winner Santa Tina.
Harpsichord, the dam of Royal Minstrel and his siblings, was a juvenile stakes winner in Ireland and is a half sister to Melpomene (by Son-in-Law), third dam of 1956 American champion 3-year-old male Needles. She is out of Golden Harp, whose sire Llangibby won the 1906 Eclipse Stakes. Golden Harp, in turn, was produced from Goldscleugh, a winning daughter of the good stayer Florizel II (a full brother to Persimmon and Diamond Jubilee) and the Lord Lorne mare Model Queen.